The Expanse Meets Mass Effect In Huge Free 9/10 99-Hour RPG
Mass Effect fans are eternally looking for a new choice-driven RPG akin to it, and almost always coming up short. Aside from the efforts of AA studios like the sadly defunct Spiders and Piranha Bytes, there have been few games that have dared to replicate BioWare's brilliance, let alone within a science fiction context. The same can be said of The Expanse, a phenomenal series of novels that got an equally great TV adaptation and a Telltale game, but little else.
The two have been calling out to be combined in some way, and that is finally happening with the upcoming Mass Effect-esque Expanse video game. However, that's still a long way off, and, in the interim, there is only one game that truly combines the two to offer not just a great sci-fi experience, but a staggeringly enormous one at that. The best part is, of course, that it is completely free to play, with no catch, no online-only requirements, and no obnoxious microtransactions.
This Epic Sci-Fi Game Is Completely Free
Finding a vast open-world game with a choice-driven narrative, exciting combat, and the grounded sci-fi of The Expanse that is completely free and so content rich one could play it for upwards of 100 hours seems like a herculean task. Fortunately, that game exists, is available on Steam right now, and is legitimately free without the burden of in-game cash shops, numerous currencies, or any of the other frustrating monetization methods that bog down contemporary free-to-play titles.
Said game, titled Endless Sky, is a truly massive, open source, open-world sci-fi game in which players explore its galaxy aboard their own ship, completing quests, mining, hunting criminals, getting into an array of dog fights, and, eventually, leading their own fleet. There's a huge focus on trading, customization, and combat, with members of its community adding even more quests, mechanics, and more alongside the major updates it continues to receive well over 10 years later.
Of course, as aforementioned, you don't need to pay anything to play Endless Sky. It is one of the most underrated free Steam games on the market, as its main story alone will take upwards of 15 hours to complete, while its enormous sandbox universe provides an additional 100+ hours at the very least, for those eager to explore its every nook and cranny.
If You Like The Expanse, Check This Out
Endless Sky is truly worth playing for those who've been looking for the perfect sci-fi game like Mass Effect, or want an experience that offers the same scale and world building as The Expanse, set within a largely grounded universe. It has an in-depth narrative featuring different factions battling one another in a prolonged civil war that one would expect from a game like Mass Effect, although those who simply want to cruise around and explore the game's many side offerings can do so without ever interacting with the main story.
Fans of The Expanse will resonate more with the game's opening as its smaller scope, focus on politics and warring factions, and darker tone certainly mirror a lot of what the books and show had to offer. Mass Effect fans will want to persevere a little longer, as once the game opens up and the universe expands beyond its grounded roots, it becomes a more action-packed space opera-esque experience akin to what is inarguably one of BioWare's best games of all time.